Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
Inter-Academy Round 2 Fortescue Points: 193, Rank: 6, PR: 0.4825
Tier 3 Daedo M-Rank: 140
Term: 3, Round: 3
Daedalus Operating Capital: +2,600,000 bitcreds
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The bug could mean only one thing. Daedo had been compromised by one of Earth’s major internal security Organisations. She ran the probabilities with AI Zeus, calculating time and likelihood of attempted capture. Before the calculation was completed, an alert came through. She had access to the entire campus security system with the highest access, front door, backdoor and kernel level control. Multiple brute force intrusions were detected. It was a smash and grab action over the campus security network.
Nader: Examine the planned exfil routes and report on the effectiveness and disable campus surveillance to my presence.
AI Zeus: Master, is the situation critical?
Nader: Yes, threat level five protocols enabled. Exemption for Squad Zero only.
AI Zeus: Master, we should transport. Transponder is active.
Nader: We don’t know what will happen to this body. We are not leaving it.
AI Zeus: Master, it is just a vessel. Your own protocol is to transport if possible, on threat level 4 and above.
Nader: AI Zeus, noted so proceed with exfil. I will provide a statement which you will send to Titan Lu.
AI Zeus: Yes, Master.
Ten seconds passed while AI Zeus calculated several thousand scenarios based on plans and current surveillance.
AI Zeus: Route three is optimal. Activating IR .371 suit emission. Visual sensors have been blinded to IR .371. Commence exfil.
While on the move, the former Master Nader recorded her statement.
Nader: Titan Lu. Emergency report, Ares Nader 544. Threat level five encountered. In an attempt to save the host body and partial conscienceness, A544 will continue to occupy host and reject transfer as the primary option. A possibility remains that if Earth Organisation recovers the host, that the previous conscienceness will awaken partially enabling information transfer.
Ares Nader 544 Encrypted Transmission.
AI Zeus: Forgive me, Master but that report is not one hundred percent accurate.
Nader: And you will inform my superior that fact if you are ever interrogated but that is a problem for tomorrow. Today we must escape the local authorities.
AI Zeus: Analysis of your behaviour shows that the host data is affecting your decisions.
Nader: AI Zeus, cease your advice as it is not required.
AI Zeus: Yes, Master.
Although Zeus was annoying, it was not wrong. Nader had been regenerating and nurturing the host memories and consciousness for over a year. She was not going to let her work die easily. Abandoning the body now would most likely destroy her host’s consciousness.
Her immediate destination was almost one hundred kilometres away. She would traverse this distance by foot - unless an opportunity arose to stow away on a vehicle headed in the general direction.
She ran down the street with dampeners activated preventing her from showing up on thermal or visual scans. She dropped all her ID devices into the river as she passed. She had encased them in lead, but to reduce the chance of detection to zero, she must divulge herself of any RFID equipment attached to her persona.
AI Zeus: Zero detection reported. Campus has been infiltrated, escape margin 15m42s.
She had increased the search zone to a five-kilometre radius in that time whilst minimising the chance of discovery.
Nader: It will have to be sufficient.
She began to process future scenarios through her mind as she ran. She noticed an autovan with heavy freight and it was headed in the right direction. She jumped on the back using electromagnets to attach herself to the outside of its cargo hold. She changed her suit colour to match the van which would reduce the chance of being noticed by the human eye.
While she rode the van, possible scenarios began to branch and play out. It was then she realised a threat, not to herself but to Daedo. She had been focused on herself and it had taken her far too long to realise that he would be interrogated in an effort to retrieve information. Or worse, he could be taken as bait if they thought there was even a small chance he held importance to her and they would not be wrong.
Nader: Zeus, pull all local data on the UEI. What are the likely scenarios when they question Daedo regarding an alien infiltration, subject is local. Target is alien. Do we have anything on their procedures?
AI Zeus: Master, this is what we have stored locally.
Media appeared on Nader’s hud. An interrogation vid from four years ago and transcript. It was old but it was all they had on short notice. They had cut themselves off from the wider net until they could obtain a secure connection. It wasn’t good. Unless the UEI recognised a portion of his value, they would deem him expendable and a casualty of war. The humans were often their own worst enemy. It was one of the reasons why her organisation cut ties with the locals thirty years ago well before her time.
Although she operated as a facilitator who was clandestinely enhancing Earth’s defence, she was still viewed as an enemy of the state. Although Daedo and his team's operations could prove instrumental in the Earth’s defence and its future, the stupid humans could damage him in their quest to protect their own plans. This was why she wanted to be transferred months ago. He was on his way and, whilst she stayed by his side, it resulted in an increased threat to him, not to mention the other resultant effects. She could have easily, and should have, delivered tech to him from the shadows.
Nader: We need to get a message to Daedo.
AI Zeus: Yes, Master. Which form of communication will we use?
Nader: The old fashioned one so what is the last known location of Ikaros?
AI Zeus: His personal residence. Median habit will result in travel to the Nanterre premise in ten hours. His standard shift is 1200 to 2300. Coordinates added to MAP.
Nader: I know the location.
She thought as she jumped off the van and cut across country, it would take her five hours to get there if she ran. She would have to commandeer a vehicle. Although it was risky, it was less risky than contacting Daedo directly or accessing the network to contact anyone.
Nader considered taking a hostage and using them to order transport but that would result in Ikaros being implicated, and she did not want that. The authorities would eventually find the hostage and be able to trace her movements and gain access to her trail. She ruled out using an innocent bystander.
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It took her ten minutes to find a parked personal bike as an autocar or van could be tracked and appropriating one would be noticed almost immediately. The odds were in favour that its owner was asleep, and she could take the bike north before disposing of it. Nader started the vehicle and then proceeded to damage and disable its communications and GPS systems. She pushed the vehicle to its speed limit when she got close to Ikaros’ residence.
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Nader banged loudly on Ikaros’ door, and it took a few minutes for the sleepy eye mechanic to answer.
“What, who?” he asked, grumpily.
“I am Master Nader from the Academy,” she announced. This was their first meeting.
“Mmmhmm, why are you here and why didn’t you call or even use the doorbell?” he asked groggily.
“I have no time to explain. You need to contact Daedo urgently and tell him to go to his base in the Eye of the Sahara, armed. He is not to let himself be taken,” she said.
“What the …,” Ikaros began to say before coming to his senses, “Now?”
“Yes, now because time is short. It may already be too late,” she stated.
Ikaros tried contacting Daedo without success.
“Send a message and then try again,” she ordered.
“Why don’t you?” he asked.
“Don’t ask questions, just do as you’re told,” Nader ordered abruptly before adding, “You can ask your questions after he is warned.”
Ikaros sent the message while peering at Nader suspiciously. She moved out of his view looking for something she could use for transport.
“Where are you going?” Ikaros asked.
“Shut up and keep trying, Kar,” Nader replied.
“What did you just call me?” Ikaros asked.
Nader swore to herself.
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Daedo nodded that he had noticed that Mace was listening and responding to a message. “How much time do I have?” he asked.
Mace looked worried, “I’m not sure. I really don’t know what will happen but, if they can’t interrogate Master Nader, they will want to question you.”
“Who is they?” Daedo asked.
Mace shrugged, “All I know is that my parents call them the Organisation and they are international.”
“So you really have no idea who you are working for?” Daedo asked incredulously.
Mace protested, “I work for, and trust, my parents.”
“Do they think I should run? Ask them because it’s not going to be pretty if I run,” Daedo said calmly.
“You can’t afford to take this lightly. They don’t care about local laws or your rights,” Mace said.
“How do you know?” Daedo enquired.
Mace stared blankly off into space for a time, then stated flatly, “I will run with you.”
Daedo raised his hands in the air, “And just how am I supposed to be able to trust you now?”
“I would never do anything,” Mace said with her voice starting to break. She spluttered out the last, “To hurt you. Deep down, you know this.”
It was Daedo’s turn to stare. He focussed his eyes on her trying to read her soul while his mind turned over, “Okay,” he finally said.
“We run?” she asked.
“I am putting myself in your hands. It will mend our bond or break it forever but, either way I will be able to move on,” Daedo said, “and if we run, what is the worst that can happen?”
“Everything goes to shit,” Mace replied as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit.
“We need to ditch anything with a signal and disconnect from the net,” Mace ordered as they ran.
“No voice comms?” Daedo asked.
“No, they still ping the towers even if we are in range of each other. They aren’t fully peer to peer,” Mace replied.
“I would have to take off my bodysuit!” Daedo exclaimed.
“Get your AI to talk to mine right now. It will show you how to disengage fully and quickly. However, this is the last time,” Mace replied, her voice cracking from the strain.
“Workshop?” Daedo asked as they ran onto the street.
“Tempting, but it’s the first place they will look,” Mace replied. “What are our options?”
“Colonel Martin, Workshop and Marais, anything else?” Daedo asked.
“We can’t endanger your father and that’s too obvious. What about Cisse?” Mace asked.
“I don’t know where she lives,” Daedo admitted.
“I don’t think Colonel Martin is a good idea,” Mace said. “I have no idea what relationship the Organisation has with the EUDF, and the risk is too high, but we can be almost certain Marais will not have one.”
“What about your parents?” Daedo asked.
Mace pulled on his hand encouraging him to keep running and then let go as she ran ahead. “My allegiance is now with you. My parent's allegiance will be with the Organisation and they have made that clear.”
“You just turned against them?” Daedo asked.
Mace nodded once and was otherwise silent on the matter. Her eyes glistened with moisture.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Me too,” she replied. Their words encompassed the entire affair.
An autocar whizzed past, making Mace nervous. She slowed after it left her sight.
“Let’s walk now,” she said, “it’s less conspicuous. Also, change your bodysuit colours”
“How long do we have?” Daedo asked turning left and right, watching every vehicle, drone and person with suspicion. He changed his colour from almost all black to look like a Shu cadet, white with blue.
“I have no idea. If they decide that they want to interrogate you, they will move to pick you up. We just needed to be gone and get lost before that happens,” she replied.
“And you can’t use your spy drones for recon?” Daedo observed.
“They are Organisation issue. I ditched everything in the gym,” Mace replied.
“What about what you used on me or maybe you have a bio spy drone inside you?” Daedo asked.
“I hope not,” Mace replied. “Feck,” she added, “I really have no idea. My parents could have planted one on me at any time, for my own safety!” she spat.
Daedo saw advertising on an office building wall and wondered if the Organisation could track them through simple technology that was everywhere. The ad would change to suit their net and spending habits, if they got close which meant that it recognised them.
“Even with everything off we need to get to Marais fast,” Daedo said, “and they will be able to find us quickly by tapping into local face recognition.”
“Good point,” Mace replied, “and I just dumped my sensor dampeners.”
“Is it too risky to swing by the workshop and grab an exo?” Daedo asked.
Mace nodded, but then had an idea, “All we need is to get someone to call Jeram or Cillian for us.”
“Who?” Daedo lifted his arms up in mock surrender being a massive introvert had its downsides.
“The street kids?” Mace asked.
“You have to be joking,” Daedo replied.
“Do you know anyone else that’s close by?” Mace asked.
Daedo shook his head. Anyone they knew would be on campus, and his father was farther away than Marais. He had no idea where Cisse lived and, although her address would be in Daedalus files somewhere, he would have to go online to access them.
“Okay, what’s the worst that could happen?” Daedo asked in surrender.
They ran to the shelter where the street kids lived. Daedo was not concerned about being attacked. The street kids showed no signs they owned any weapons and, if it came to melee, he had total confidence that Mace would handle it with little aid from him.
They arrived ten minutes later. One of the benefits of the industrial district was the lack of on-street advertising. Very few vehicles that passed them were people carriers, and the drones would not survey them at all unless they were drones from the Organisation which they could do nothing about.
They did their best to keep maximum distance from the workshop in case it was being monitored. Mace jumped the fence onto the adjacent property before jumping a second into the area where the street kids camped. Daedo followed without a word. He had nothing to offer in this scenario that she couldn’t match. If anything, she was better equipped.
“Hey kids,” Mace called. The fact that she was only thirteen was lost on her.
Four street kids of varying size ran out from within the shelter. They were panicked at first because the duo had surprised them. They looked ready to bolt before halting and confronting Mace and Daedo.
“What the hell are you doing here? Do you want to die?” the tallest asked. He looked about their age and slightly smaller than Barran.
“We want to make a trade,” Mace stated.
“You want to die?” One of the younger kids said and he was the one that confronted them at the river.
“Calm ya farm,” the leader told him before turning back to Mace, “so what do you want and what are ya offerin?”
“We could jess take it, Vic,” Kalm said.
“How can ya jess take bitcreds, idiot,” Victor scolded.
“We beat ‘em up and make ‘em give ‘em to us,” Kalm pointed out.
“Ahem,” Mace interrupted their internal discussion, “I am standing right here, and I could beat the living shit out of any of you with one hand.”
She moved closer to Kalm and added, “Or did I hit you so hard last time that you forgot?”
Kalm sneered at her while Victor looked at Daedo.
Daedo shrugged and pointed to Mace as if to say don’t look at me talk to her.
“Okay, what do ya want?” Victor asked.
“We want you to call someone for us,” Mace stated, “and we will pay you a hundred bitcreds.”
“Shit! make it two hundred,” Kalm said.
Mace peered at him, “Have you ever had more than twenty bitcreds in your life?”
“Nah, bitch,” he replied, “but I can smell desperate. If ya can afford one hundy, ya can afford two.”
A rock hit Kalm in the face but before anyone could react, Daedo said, “I’ll give you three hundred but don’t call her, bitch, again, or we’ll leave, and you get nothing.”
“Okay, fella” Kalm said.
Victor sighed and smashed him in the back of the head, “Art?” he asked the girl, “Go get the comm-unit. The one we... ya know… the new one.”
“Okay, Vic,” she said before hurrying back into the shanty.
“What’s the handle?” Victor asked Mace who pulled up a display on her arm and showed him Cillian Marais contact details.
“How the hell ya got that, but ya can’t call someone?” Kalm asked.
“Shuttup Kalm, you idiot,” Victor said.
“They are on the run,” the smallest kid offered as Art returned.
“Parents afta ya?” Kalm asked.
“None of our business,” Victor replied.
Art moved to hand Mace the comm, but Victor stopped her, “Creds first,” he stated.
Daedo had prepped a black card. Although they were designed for large amounts, he was able to change it to three hundred bitcreds. He threw it on the ground in front of Mace.
“Ooh a black card… you see that Rich?” Kalm said.
“Nah,” the smallest shook his head. He was named Rich apparently. Kalm laughed at him.
“You can pick it up after Daedo makes the call,” Mace said putting her foot on the card before Rich could pick it up.
“How do I know that it’s got three hundred on it?” Victor asked.
“It’s a black card Vic so he prolly has a million bitcreds,” Kalm said.
Daedo tried to contact Cillian while Mace watched their suppliers.